The concept of positive thinking—consciously developing a mental attitude in which you expect good and favorable results—has long been a foundation in many lines of self-help and personal growth. Recent scientific investigations on positive thinking help us to better understand how what we focus on internally can not only support our mental health, but also our physical well-being.

Like a lot of kids, I asked myself those perennial questions as I lay in bed at night. How do I know the world is what my senses tell me? Do I really have freewill? Will I ever have a girlfriend? I remember being preoccupied by the idea that I was my brain. How is it that everything I think of as me – my inner thoughts and feelings – are somehow produced inside my head? And how do we know for sure that they are? At the time I assumed clever scientists already knew the answer, but as I got older, I realized I’d been wrong.

Transcendent Mind: Rethinking the Science of Consciousness

Where does consciousness come from? Many scientists have tried to crack the code, but the answer to this question continues to be a point of discussion and debate. Today, most mainstream academics hold a bias that the brain equals consciousness- so when the brain stops at the end of life, the assumption is that consciousness would also cease to exist.

Curious about meditation research? Ever wonder how you can become a meditation researcher? In this video Dr. Helané Wahbeh talks about her experience as just that! She also describes the historical arc of the field, where it has been, where it is now, and where it is going-- particularly the areas of meditation research that are wide open and waiting for new researchers to study.